Rehearsing together

[Gnarlie]

So I recently moved clubs.

Black belt grading candidates at my old place would have to travel 100 miles or so to the nearest grading run by the national governing body. They'd take the test mixed with 200 other candidates from other clubs, meaning any partner exercises like step sparring or self defence would be totally improvised in terms of how the opponent reacts to wrist manipulation etc. - everything would be a surprise.

I'm now in a smaller club with a high grade master who can grade for Kukkiwon at his own dojang. This provides something of a luxury opportunity: practising routines with other candidates.

Is it a good idea to have pre-arranged routines for a grading? Should my partner know what techniques I'm going to do, and to what degree should they 'play along'?

Gnarlie

 

[granfire]

I always enjoyed the opportunity to spar with people I don't know:
you don't get complacent, you are more alert and challenged.


Since I have no idea about KKW material I am only going to ask what you do in terms that is not already planned out (aside from sparring)
We had set one and three step sparing combos. We knew what was coming and how to defend against it.

We had (in Hanmudo) sets of attacks/defenses where you knew what was coming.

However, I keep thinking that if you do it in a more realistic fashion, you might be better off when you don't know.

However I prefer a bit of expectability at grading.

(you traveled 100 MILES in Germany for grading? )

 

[Gnarlie]

I always enjoyed the opportunity to spar with people I don't know:
you don't get complacent, you are more alert and challenged.


Since I have no idea about KKW material I am only going to ask what you do in terms that is not already planned out (aside from sparring)
We had set one and three step sparing combos. We knew what was coming and how to defend against it.

We had (in Hanmudo) sets of attacks/defenses where you knew what was coming.

However, I keep thinking that if you do it in a more realistic fashion, you might be better off when you don't know.

However I prefer a bit of expectability at grading.

(you traveled 100 MILES in Germany for grading? )

I travelled 100 miles in England before I moved here

Now I do all of my travelling in Kilometers per cubic maßkrug.

I'm talking most specifically about the SD and pre arranged step sparring portions of the test. It's not only that I, the defendant, know what's coming, but the attacker also knows what to expect from my response and will go along with my wrist locks, throws and holds. Not only compliant, but assistive.

Similarly with poomsae, we can agree to stay together with the pattern performance speed, thereby helping one another rather than distracting.

I don't know what the best approach is, I've always improvised, but potentially next to a pair who have practiced together and are helping one another, that could look pretty scrappy. Any advice?

Gnarlie

 

[WC_lun]

If your goal is self defense, and the testing is in order for you and your instructor to know if you are ready to use your skills in a SD situation, then it should not be pre-scripted. Pre-scripted step sparring is a training tool, and not useful beyond that. If there are other reasons you train, such as enjoying the aestetics of your system, then how something looks would be more important. Me personally, I don't care how what I do looks to other people. My question for myself is did I deal with the threat successfully?

 

[WaterGal]

Is your teacher going to go along with your choice of partner and your choice of pre-arranged techniques?

 

[Gnarlie]

Is your teacher going to go along with your choice of partner and your choice of pre-arranged techniques?

Well, the other candidates will just be the few BB's from our place, so if we all practice together he doesn't really have a choice, but yes, I think he will go along with the choice if techniques.

Gnarlie

 

[Gnarlie]

If your goal is self defense, and the testing is in order for you and your instructor to know if you are ready to use your skills in a SD situation, then it should not be pre-scripted. Pre-scripted step sparring is a training tool, and not useful beyond that. If there are other reasons you train, such as enjoying the aestetics of your system, then how something looks would be more important. Me personally, I don't care how what I do looks to other people. My question for myself is did I deal with the threat successfully?

Your viewpoint is where I have come from - improvised but effective as a focus.

In many ways learning set techniques is a backwards step for me. I feel like I'm not in a position to improvise, as the BB's here are more used to a fixed technique learning culture. They worry that they will hurt each other if they improvise.

If I don't go along with learning these fixed techniques, I can probably expect to be working with some fairly resistant/disgruntled partners.

Cultural differences. What you gonna do?

Gnarlie

 

[WaterGal]

Well, the other candidates will just be the few BB's from our place, so if we all practice together he doesn't really have a choice, but yes, I think he will go along with the choice if techniques.

Gnarlie

Ah, ok. My GM will invite some other black belts and high-level color belts to the testing to be the partners, and just call out pairs. So you've no idea who you're going to work with.

 

[Metal]

Hey Gnarlie,

Do you train at Master Ko's or Master Chang's dojang? Or another one in Munich?

I plan to visit one of them or both the next time I'll have some free time in Munich. I'm there regularly due to my job, but so far I just went to Master Seo's dojang.

(you traveled 100 MILES in Germany for grading? )

That actually can happen if you go through the German governing body for Taekwondo. The DTU is divided into local organizations (Landesverbände) which take care of the 1st to 4th (in some areas 1st to 3rd) dan testings. For example the Taekwondo Union in Northrhine Westphalia (NWTU) is organizing 6 dan testings per year. For example I'll have to travel about 90 miles to my dan testing unless I wanna wait a few months longer and choose a testing which is closer to my homwtown.

From 5th dan on (if you're from certain areas from 4th dan on) you'll have to participate in a National Dan testing (Bundesdanprüfung). In that case it may happen that people have to travel hundreds of miles for their testing.

 

[Gnarlie]

Hey Gnarlie,

Do you train at Master Ko's or Master Chang's dojang? Or another one in Munich?

I plan to visit one of them or both the next time I'll have some free time in Munich. I'm there regularly due to my job, but so far I just went to Master Seo's dojang.




That actually can happen if you go through the German governing body for Taekwondo. The DTU is divided into local organizations (Landesverbände) which take care of the 1st to 4th (in some areas 1st to 3rd) dan testings. For example the Taekwondo Union in Northrhine Westphalia (NWTU) is organizing 6 dan testings per year. For example I'll have to travel about 90 miles to my dan testing unless I wanna wait a few months longer and choose a testing which is closer to my homwtown.

From 5th dan on (if you're from certain areas from 4th dan on) you'll have to participate in a National Dan testing (Bundesdanprüfung). In that case it may happen that people have to travel hundreds of miles for their testing.

Hi Metal,

I've visited all of the Dojangs you mentioned, and a few others, but I train regularly at a different one which is really great, PM me for details if you wish.

Master Chang's is good but a little far away for me. Master Seo has more of a health and fitness focus, I like his place a lot but it's far too and the training times didn't fit with my schedule. Have you tried the Polizeiverein? I liked it, but they hadn't their own premises and the floor was pretty harsh.

I thought the structure in the UK was complex until I came to Deutschland! It's amazing.

Gnarlie